Digital Music Interactions A software-based interactive music and performance system

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About

This page should serve as place where students can learn more about the history of the Digital Music Interactions project as well as current news about the project including recent or upcoming performances of the Interactions Etudes. In addition, more information regarding the project can always be found by contacting either the composer or those associated with the project. For contact information click here.

News April, 2004 The Digital Music Interactions Project is featured in the Johns Hopkins 2004 Technology Fellowship project Symposium along with the other 2004 grant winners. April, 2004 Piano Interactions #1, the first of the Interactions Etudes, was awarded First Prize in the Ninth annual Prix D'Été Composition Competition for instrumental and electroacoustic music. The Prix D'Été competition, established by Walter Summer in 1994, encourages Peabody graduate and undergraduate composition students to create chamber music that explores new instrumental, vocal, computer and multi-media horizons. More information regarding the Prix D'Été is available here. The piece was performed by Ann Teresa Kang in a special performance at the Peabody Institute on April 15, 2004, in the Friedberg Concert Hall. June, 2003 The Digital Music Interactions Project is awarded a 2003-2004 Johns Hopkins University Technology Fellowship. The Technology Fellowships are awarded yearly by the Johns Hopkins Center for Educational Resources and are designed to create digital educational resources that support undergraduate education.

	About the Digital Music Interactions Project
	What is the D.M.I. Project? --- What is Computer Music? --- How does it work? --- Who is it for? --- What does it cost? --- Who is involved?	What is the Digital Music Interactions Project?   The Digital Music Interactions Project is an effort by the Peabody Computer Music Department to present younger musicians with the basic techniques of Computer Music performance. Traditionally, musicians are rarely introduced to the challenges of performing with computer generated musics and interactive musical computer systems. Most young musicians will develop into mature performers without ever being exposed to the rich and challenging musical traditions of computer music. The Digital Music Interactions Project aims at creating a program of educational resources, hands-on instruction, and specially comissioned pieces of computer music to introduce basic concepts and performance practices to musicians unfamiliar with the genre of computer music. The D.M.I. website will act as the centerpiece of the program, offering explanations of the tools used in the performance of computer music, descriptions of the ways in which composers and performers use computers and other tools to manipulate sound, and a suite of compositions that students can download and perform which make use of the same basic techniques. Essentially, the Digital Music Interactions project addresses the issue of how the study of interactive musical composition can be presented to young instrumental students. Especially in recent years, as technology has advanced at a rapid rate, the age at which children are becoming comfortable interacting with computer systems is getting lower and lower. Unfortunately, the majority of young music students and their teachers are unaware that there exists an established field of Computer Music within which performers can interact musically and artistically with sophisticated music computer systems. By presenting young students with a suite of easy to understand, interesting, and musically challenging pieces designed to showcase basic concepts of interactive performance, music instructors can take advantage of their eager attitudes and desire to learn, as well as their high comfort levels with technology, to enhance their perception of the new timbral possibilities and compositional structures made possible through interaction with computer music systems. --- What is Computer Music?   Computer Music is a constantly developing genre of music that brings together technology and musicians in many different and exciting ways. Computer Music composers can use the power of modern computers to create new sounds, write pieces that change the sound of an instrument at the very same time it is being played, or even change the score of a piece while it is being played. Computer Music Performers can use computer systems that can react to the notes being played and modify the sounds or answer back in ways that would not be possible by human performers. Computer Music Researchers can use computer systems to analyze pieces of music and look for structures in the music that are very difficult to determine. In short, Computer Musicians can bring together computers and music in many, many different ways, to create, perform, and learn about music. --- How Does It Work?   The Digital Music Interactions Project is made up of a series of musical compositions that are written to explore different aspects of computer music performance. Performers with little or no exposure to computer music can start with the Interactions Etudes and by learning and performing each piece, can be exposed to some basic techniques of computer music performance, including Playing with Tape, Digital Delays, Real-Time Sampling, and Playing with Pedals and Other Devices. The Etudes are arranged by instrument: Piano, Flute, and Violin. For each instrument, there are four separate-yet-related Etudes that the performer can download, study, and perform. There are detailed instructions included with each piece which describe the technologies being used, the manner in which the pieces should be performed, sample recordings to which students can listen, and basic troubleshooting procedures to get the software up and running. The computer software used for the Interactions Etudes runs on Apple G3, G4, or G5 computer systems and stands completely on its own (the performers don't need to purchase any additional software). And while some Etudes require a microphone to be connected to the computer, at least one Etude for each instrument can be performed without any additional hardware. In any case, the details for configuring the student's computer and audio system are clearly laid out in our Help documentation and in the Troubleshooting Guide. These compositions are designed to expose the student to basic computer music technologies and performance styles in a fun and educational manner. The pieces are designed for competant musicians, not beginners, but rather young student musicians ready to experiment with more technologically challenging musical styles. By reading about the technologies being used in each piece in the Learn section of the site, students will learn more about the field of computer music and how it can be a part of their musical development. --- Who is it for?   The Digital Music Interactions project is designed for accomplished student musicians with little or no experience in interactive computer music performance. The Interaction etudes are written for piano, flute, and violin so that performers on those instruments will be able to study and learn the pieces either by themselves or with the aid of the Peabody Computer Music Department. The scores, audio files, and computer software are available for download from this site at the discrepency of the Computer Music Department and the composer. Use of the Interactions project and the Interactions etudes is intended for members of the Johns Hopkins/Peabody Institute communities for study, research, and enjoyment. Working in conjunction with the Peabody Computer Music department, any Johns Hopkins affiliated institution or individuals may request access to this site and the materials contained within. Our hope is that the information on this site and the compositions contained within will provide a starting point for musicians to pursue studies and involvement in Computer Music both as performers and as audience members. --- What does it cost?   There is no cost for members of the Johns Hopkins University/Peabody Institute communities. Other requests for the use of the Interactions Etudes for use outside of the Johns Hopkins community may be made to the Peabody Computer Music Department or to the composer. We ask that any use or performance of the DMI Etudes be reported to the composer and the Peabody Computer Music Department so that they might receive feedback on the performance and scholastic attributes of the project. --- Who is involved?   The Digital Music Interactions project was made possible through the Johns Hopkins University's Center for Educational Resounces Technology Fellowship program. The project itself was conceived and realized by composer Robert Hamilton during his studies at the Peabody Institute as a master's degree student in the Peabody Computer Music Department. The project was carried out under the supervision of Dr. Geoffrey Wright, Professor of Computer Music Composition and Head of the Peabody Computer Music Consort. The project was undertaken with the assistance of Craig Sapp, guest faculty member of the Computer Music Department. Administration for the Digital Music Interactions Technology Fellowship was provided by the Johns Hopkins University CER liason Erin Hagar and CER director Cheryl Wagner. Special thanks go to pianist Chryssie Nanou for her assistance in the performance and development stages of the project as well as for her advice and experience with computer music performance and education. ---